Nadia
by LaJavertine
Summary: When Snape's sister dies, the potions professor is left with a 14-year-old girl that he barely knows. This story takes place a few years pre-Potter.
1. Prelude

**Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe or anything in it. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. The non-canon characters are mine. **

**Comments/reviews are appreciated, as always. I realize that this is one of a broad genre of "Snape has a kid" stories, but I'll do my best not to bore you with it.**

* * *

Mornings never agreed with Severus Snape, and this was proving to be no exception. At a quarter after eight, while he buttered a slice of toast, a tawny owl suddenly swooped in and dropped a rolled-up scroll of parchment directly into his half-eaten bowl of oatmeal. With a sigh, he plucked the soggy paper from the bowl and unfurled it. Moments later, he dropped the piece of toast he was holding and stared at the letter with a look of mixed anger and horror.

_Mr. Severus Snape,_

_We regret to inform you of the death of your sister, Philippa..._

_- - - -_

"Albus, there is no possible way you can allow this." Severus paced the floor of the headmaster's office, crossing from the window to the desk and back again in long, quick strides.

"I see no harm in bringing her here. You seem to be all that she has left now, and that alone is reason enough for me to bend the rules and allow your niece within the grounds over the summer."

"Pity warps your mind, Dumbledore. I have not seen nor spoken to the child in more than ten years. She is unlikely to even remember me, much less have any emotional attachment to me."

"That may be, but the fact remains that, now that her mother has passed away, you are her only family. The other option is that she be put into an orphanage. Tell me, Severus, is that what you truly want for her?" Albus Dumbledore plucked a brightly-colored candy from the bowl on his desk and offered it to Snape, who glared and turned away. Dumbledore shrugged and popped the candy into his own mouth.

"It is not a matter of wishing to place my own niece in an orphanage. It it simply a question of practicality. I have neither the aptitude nor the desire to care for a child."

"She's hardly a child any longer, Severus. Fourteen years old, if my calculations are correct. The same age as any of the fourth-year students you've taught before. You deal with students just like her every day. Surely one more would not be such a burden."

The professor paused in front of the window, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if he felt a headache coming on.

"Teaching the little brats is one thing. Living with one is entirely another story."

"Severus, it will only be for the summer, after which you will have an entire nine months of limited contact with the girl, assuming you plan on enrolling her in Hogwart's. Keep in mind that I will gladly increase your salary to cover the cost of providing to her, as well as allowing her free tuition."

"Appealing to my greed has little effect, Albus," Snape growled out. Then he sighed. "Fine. I will make arrangements for her to stay in my quarters for the summer."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, grinning. "You may wish to make haste. She will be arriving tomorrow afternoon."

"But I have not even written a response to the letter," Snape began, then paused, glaring at Dumbledore. The headmaster merely smiled.

"There was little doubt in my mind that you would agree, Severus."

Without another word, Snape turned on his heel and left the headmaster's office, his cloak fluttering behind him.


	2. Chapter 1

"Nadia Snape, I presume," Dumbledore intoned as he ushered the girl into the front hall of the castle. She nodded and followed the headmaster to the foot of the stairs, where Severus Snape stood, his arms folded across his chest and a look of grim disinterest set on his face. His first impression of his niece was that of a field mouse. She was short and very slender, dressed in a too-large gray robe and carrying a small suitcase in front of her, timidly walking a half-step behind the headmaster. Her jet-black hair was trimmed to just below her chin, exposing her long, thin neck and the ridge of her collarbone. It was hard to believe that this was the daughter of Phillipa Snape, a woman who put even her younger brother's skill at intimidation to shame.

The girl's escort, a young man from the Ministry, approached Severus first.

"Professor Snape, I am Thomas Thudgle, Nadia's temporary appointed guardian. I trust that you have reviewed the documents I had delivered to you this morning."

"I have," Severus growled. Thudgle raised an eyebrow, but continued, "Then all I require from you is that you sign this paper to transfer guardianship to yourself." Thudgle produced a quill and parchment from within the folds of his robe and passed them to Severus. The professor took a long look at the document before scrawling his name in small and precise letters on the indicated line. Thudgle smiled as he retrieved the parchment from the professor.

"Well then, it appears that my job is done. Nadia, take care, and if you have any problems, do not hesitate to send me an owl." And with barely another glance, the man turned and disappeared through the castle doors.

Severus turned to Dumbledore and said, "Have the rest of her things sent to my chambers."

The girl motioned to her suitcase and quietly stated, "These are all I have, sir."

Snape's eyes shifted to her luggage. The bag was barely large enough to hold more than a few sets of robes. He nodded and turned on his heel towards the stairway leading down to the dungeon, calling, "Follow me, then," over his shoulder. After a moment, the sound of her footsteps joined his. Dumbledore gazed after them for a moment, then with a sigh, ascended the staircase to his office.

- - - -

The hallways in the castle dungeon were damp and cavernous, and the girl gazed around in awe as they strode past the arched entrances to classrooms, utility rooms, and unmarked chambers sealed with barred doors and heavy iron locks. The corridors were silent, except for the sound of their footsteps and the crackle of the torch flames the cast heavy shadows along the walls. Even in the summer, the dungeons were drafty and cool, and Nadia shivered slightly and pulled the edges of her robe tightly around herself.

At the end of the corridor was a staircase that spiraled down into a smaller hallway, which led to a wall covered floor to ceiling with a portrait of Hamlet, holding the skull of Yorick. As Severus approached, the skull turned in its supporting hand and spoke.

"Password?"

"Nux Vomica."

The portrait door swung open on its hinges and with a short bow, Severus held it open as Nadia walked through into the parlor.

The inner chamber was in keeping with the appearance of the rest of the dungeons, with some modifications made for a certain amount of creature comfort. The stone floor in the parlor was covered with a thick rug in shades of green, black, and silver, with a pattern that seemed to shift as though it were composed of serpents coiling and slithering across each other. The girl walked toward it, fascinated, but before the got more than a few steps, a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Remove your shoes," Severus commanded. The girl looked back at him, then set down her suitcase and bent down to untie her black boots. She slipped them off and arranged them neatly next to the door where Severus had already placed his own shoes, then took another tenative step forward to the rug. Severus was already several steps ahead of her, magically lighting a fire in the huge stone fireplace at the other end of the room. He turned to her as she sunk her feet deeply into the plush carpet, marvelling at it's softness and the swirling pattern beneath her toes.

"Your room is down the hallway to your left, the second door on the right. Please take your things there, and then return here. There are some issues I need to explain to you," Snape said. Then he disappeared into the kitchen to begin preparing tea.

Nadia again picked up her suitcase and carried it down the hallway. The second door on the right was slightly ajar, and she pushed it open. Snape had seen to it that his guest room had been prepared for another occupant: it was sparsely furnished and decorated, but certainly usable. A bed stood against the wall opposite the door, covered with a deep green blanket. At the foot of the bed was a small chest of drawers, and a writing desk and chair sat against the wall to the left of the door. A magically-enhanced lamp on the desk provided plenty of light to the room, and a small window, high up on the back wall, allowed sunlight and fresh air in. The girl laid her suitcase on the bed and turned back down the hall towards the parlor.

She returned just as Severus had finished preparing two cups of tea and was setting them on the antique rosewood side table.

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing to a leather armchair near the fire. She nodded and moved to the chair, sitting down gingerly, as if afraid that the furniture was going to attack her. This drew a confused look from Snape as he handed her a teacup, then retrieved his own and seated himself on a velvet-covered sofa.

"I am not a man of many words," he began once they were both comfortable, "so I will make this short. You will be residing in my quarters for the summer, until school begins. As I am not used to sharing my living space with another person, I have certain rules that I require you to follow." He paused for a moment to look at her, searching for signs that she was paying attention. Her eyes would not meet his, but as she gazed into her teacup, she nodded, and he took that as a sign to continue.

"You will be allowed use of your bedroom, the kitchen, and this parlor. That," he said, pointing to a closed wooden door set on the back wall, "is my personal office and laboratory. You are not to enter without my express permission and supervision. The same goes for my bedroom. I am not in the habit of keeping my rooms locked, but if I find you someplace where you should not be, there will be repercussions."

"Yes, sir," Nadia whispered. She glanced up at him from underneath her dark lashes. Somehow, he found her reaction disconcerting. He'd expected... something else. Questions, or at least more than a whispered response. But he continued.

"I also expect you to maintain my usual level of neatness and organization. The house elves come in twice a week to clean. If you limit the spread of your belongings to your room, I do not expect either of us to be required to do more than that. As for the rest of the castle, Headmaster Dumbledore has informed me that you will have access to the common rooms, the library, and the surrounding grounds, with the exception of the Forbidden Forest. In general, any room that you should not be in will be locked. You are not to venture outside the castle grounds without permission."

"I understand," the girl responded, a bit louder this time, but still forgoing eye contact with her uncle. He sighed loudly.

"Tell me, are you always this timid? I expect you to look at me when I am speaking to you, Nadia."

Her head shot up and for the first time he got a good look at her eyes, inky black like his own. She looked terrified; her entire body tensed up and he noticed an ever-so-slight tremor in the hand holding the teacup. For a moment, he could not think of how to continue. He was used to inspiring fear in students, but usually he had to do something to intimidate them, first. She seemed to be grasping for words, looking for a way to answer his question.

"I mean no disrespect, sir," she finally responded. He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, then nodded. Perhaps, he decided, she was simply as taciturn as he himself was.

"Finally, I must ask you not to interrupt me while I am working. Potion-making is a delicate process, and a distraction at the wrong time could be disasterous. You are to keep quiet while I am working in my laboratory. That is all I ask. Beyond that, you may do what you like. There is some food in the kitchen; if you want something else, request it from the house elves. If you choose to venture out into the castle, you will likely meet the other resident professors. I expect you to treat them with the same respect you give to me. Any questions?"

Nadia shook her head. "No, sir."

"Good. I have some work to do. I suggest you go and unpack." And without another word, Severus stood, crossed the room to his laboratory, and disappeared. The girl remained in her chair until her tea was gone, and then rose and returned to her room.


End file.
